Bible Verses for Communion: 10 Scriptures for the Lord's Supper

Communion is not a ritual you go through - it's a remembrance you enter into. The bread and cup point backward to what Jesus did, forward to what He promised, and inward to what you bring.

These 10 Bible verses for communion ground you in what you're actually doing when you take the Lord's Supper - whether at a Sunday service, a small group gathering, or alone at your kitchen table.

Use our Bible Verse Randomizer to find scripture that helps you prepare your heart.

1. Luke 22:19-20 (NLT)

"He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' After supper he took another cup of wine and said, 'This cup is the new covenant between God and his people - an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.'"

The institution itself. Jesus gives the meaning directly: body given, blood poured out, new covenant confirmed. Communion isn't symbolic in the sense of empty - it's symbolic in the sense of full. The bread and cup carry real meaning about a real sacrifice.

2. 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 (NLT)

"For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant between God and his people - an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.'"

Paul's transmission of the institution to the Corinthian church. The repetition across Luke and Paul establishes the practice as foundational, not optional. "As often as you drink it" suggests frequency without prescribing it - the practice is ongoing, not once-and-done.

3. 1 Corinthians 11:26 (NLT)

"For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again."

Communion is proclamation. Every time you take it, you're announcing something to the room and to the spiritual realm: Jesus died, and He's coming back. The table is an act of witness, not just personal devotion.

4. 1 Corinthians 11:28 (NLT)

"That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup."

Self-examination is built into the practice. Not as a test you might fail, but as a habit of honesty before God. What am I carrying? Where have I strayed? Where do I need grace? The table is a place to bring the real you.

5. John 6:35 (NLT)

"Jesus replied, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.'"

The physical bread of communion points to this reality - Jesus as the one who satisfies the deepest human hunger. Spiritual sustenance doesn't come from striving or achievement. It comes from coming to Him.

6. John 6:53-54 (NLT)

"So Jesus said again, 'I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.'"

These words shocked even Jesus' followers. The language is visceral on purpose - to demand engagement, not passive observation. To participate in communion is to participate in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

7. Matthew 26:27-28 (NLT)

"And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, 'Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.'"

Forgiveness of sins - this is why blood matters in the communion narrative. The old covenant required animal sacrifice. The new covenant required the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. The cup remembers that the debt has been paid.

8. Hebrews 9:22 (NLT)

"In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness."

The background that makes communion make sense. The shedding of blood is not a primitive concept - it's the theological foundation for why the cup matters. Jesus shed real blood so that real forgiveness would be available.

9. Romans 5:8 (NLT)

"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

This is what you're remembering at the table - love expressed before you deserved it, before you asked for it, before you could earn it. Communion is a recurring reminder that God initiated, not you.

10. 1 Corinthians 10:16 (NLT)

"When we bless the cup at the Lord's Table, aren't we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren't we sharing in the body of Christ?"

Participation is the word. Communion is not watching something happen from a distance. It is sharing - actively, bodily - in what Christ did. That's why it matters who takes it and with what understanding.

FAQ

What are the best Bible verses to read before communion? 1 Corinthians 11:23-28 is the most common pre-communion passage. It covers the institution, the meaning, and the instruction to examine yourself. Luke 22:19-20 is also widely used.

What does the Bible say about taking communion? The Bible establishes communion in the Gospels (Matthew 26, Luke 22), explains its meaning in 1 Corinthians 10-11, and grounds it theologically in Hebrews and John 6.

Who can take communion? Practices vary by tradition. 1 Corinthians 11:28 says to examine yourself, and 11:29 warns against taking it "without honoring the body of Christ." Most traditions require baptism and genuine faith.

How often should you take communion? The New Testament says "as often as you drink it" without specifying frequency. Different traditions practice weekly, monthly, or quarterly. The early church took it regularly in their gatherings (Acts 2:42, 46).

Preparing for the Lord's Supper? Use our Bible Verse Randomizer to find a grounding scripture before you take the bread and cup.